1928 view of Great Northern Railway trestle bridge over Martin Creek from lower Horseshoe Tunnel Portal. The trail extension will feature the remnants of these historic features, within the Stevens Pass Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Current view of concrete and granite footing remnants of the Martin Creek Trestle. Here, a Volunteers for Outdoor Washington representative is reviewing the proposed trail extension, which will wind around some 20 of these footings.

The Iron Goat Trail, located near Stevens Pass in Washington State, offers a window into Great Northern Railway history. Since 1990 volunteers, in a labor of love, have transformed an abandoned railway bed into a hiking trail. The Horseshoe Tunnel Trail project will capture a critical interpretive element in the Iron Goat Trail experience. The goal of this project is to build a 1.5 mile extension of the Iron Goat Trail over Martin Creek to the Horseshoe Tunnel, which would then connect with the Kelley Creek Trail. The history of the Horseshoe Tunnel needs to be told: This project would connect to the Martin Creek Trailhead and complete the story of the construction (1893) and operation (1893-1929) of twelve miles of railroad grade that was abandoned upon completion of the Cascade Tunnel. The Horseshoe Tunnel is the oldest tunnel within the Stevens Pass Historic District, and made a 180-degree turn within the mountainside, with two large trestles over Martin Creek. These engineering feats are one of the contributing factors to the area’s designation as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

Help us complete the story of the Iron Goat Trail by making a contribution to Volunteers for Outdoor Washington today!

Click above to donate via paypal or fill out and mail this donation form.